April 17, 2009

Tonight in Lincoln, Neb., Suzanne Yoculan's Gym Dogs won their 10th National Title. It was Suzanne's fifth consecutive national championship as a head coach. At this point, it's safe to say that Bear Bryant is the Suzanne Yoculan of football.

The Dawgs were in good, but not great shape entering their final event. With three gymnasts left on the vault, Georgia posted consecutive scores of 9.95, 10.0, and 9.95 to end it in overwhelming fashion. Georgia had a bye for the final rotation, and Utah (who was 2nd at the time) would've needed to average 9.935 on their final event just to tie. The girls simply nailed this.

Courtney Kupets rocked a perfect 10 on the Vault and the Bar.

Congrats to Suzanne. She earned this, and now she retires from the sport as its unquestioned best ever. The Gym Dogs are one helluva team and program.

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Perhaps the most accomplished coach of any program/franchise in any sport. I guess the yankees with the guy who sold the coffee makers were pretty good, too, but he wasn't limited to 4 years of eligibility.

God help us if Bear Bryant was as successful as CSY, we would never hear the end of it. Frankly, she has surpassed John Wooden, Pat Summit and William Paul Bryant.

I cannot believe what these girls can do. It is scary to watch. I would rather attempt to tackle Bo Jackson running full speed try the simplest of somersaults these champions perform.

For the longest time, Yoculan annoyed me with her brashness and comments re: women's sports, Leebern, etc. And while I continue to disagree with her stance on a few things, the woman is a winner - plain and simple.

What was once brashness is now moxy and if our men's football and bball coaches shared her "go F yourself if you don't like me cause I'm a winner" attitude then we'd have to build a 50k sqft facility to house our NC trophies.

Strangely, her consistent winning has actually inspired a bit of humility within her. Which is counterintuitive since winning does the opposite.

I stand corrected - she is a winner and winners don't have to apologize for a damn thing.

First, I would like to congratulate Susan....but if I hear one more comment about how the football and basketball coaches need to be more like her and have her "brashness" and "attitude" then we would win more drives me crazy. Gymnastics is a small niche sport that doesnt have the number of other schools competing that football and bball do. Its a non revenue producing sport everywhere but UGA and UT - so please drop the stupid comparisons....unless you would like to have Mark shack up with a married wealthy female donor and wear age inappropriate clothing

Where are all the Alabama spankers who were on here a couple weeks ago squawking about 'just like football/basketball/baseball/gymnastics'?

Hey, Alabama fans, can you tell me what it was like winning the SEC Championship this year in football? Oh yeah...how about beating Utah in the Sugar Bowl? Oh yeah, this is the second time this year you guys have finished behind the Utes. Losers.

What Yoculan has built at Georgia goes beyond her titles; UGA will continue to be a gymnastics powerhouse after she's gone, just like Iowa was still a wrestling powerhouse after Dan Gable left. Elite gymnasts in places like Texas, California, and Arizona come to be Gym Dogs because they know they will win championships. That will be Yoculan's legacy.

Congrats to the Gym Dogs! And I know yall don't cover equestrian much (i.e. at all), but for the UGA Equestrian team to have won its 4th National title in 7 years of competition today as well, Yoculan better watch out . . .

Anon 7:42...why is it so ridiculous to mention CMR and the NCs in other sports. Competition is competition, it doesn't matter what sport its in. She is one hell of a coach and her arrogance and cockiness reminds me of a very successful football coach that wore our ass out while he coached the Gators.

To Mike in Valdosta: Check out The UNC coach and his 15-17 NC's in women's soccer. I can't remember how many it is, but it's a lot more than CSY. I'm sure there are others, like the guy who retired as AU's swimming coach last year. I think he has almost 15 combined mens and womens titles.